Stoker



June 7, 1938. A. CHALKER sToKER Filed May 16, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 .SNN NN m June 7, 1938-. A. R. cHAL-KER STOKER Filed May 16, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 CENTER LINE or INVENTOR beh/15 R, Cha ke/4 ATTORN EY Patented June 7, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOKER poration of Delaware Application May 16, 1935, Serial No. 21,721

6 Claims.

My invention relates generally to stokers and more particularly to locomotive stokers of the type that convey fuel from a source of supply, as from the tender, to the firebox through the usual rlng opening in the locomotive boiler backhead, from which point the fuel is scattered over the fire by a pressure fluid blast. Y

In stokers of the type described it has been customary to extend the discharge conduit to or into the lower portion of the ring opening in order to provide an opening betweenthe discharge conduit and the upper marginal edge of the firing opening of sumcient size to permit manual introduction of fuel into the rebox. In consequence thereof the firing height, that is, the vertical distance between the flrebox grate and the delivery end of the discharge conduit, becomes relatively low, requiring a high pressure fluid blast to project the fuel to the forward end of the rebox. One object of the present invention, therefore, resides in the provision of a novel construction wherein a high firing height is maintained, thereby requiring lower uid pressure for projecting the fuel over the fire, and at the same time providing an opening of sulcient size formanual introduction of fuel into the rebox.

More specifically the invention contemplates the provision of a novel construction and combination of elements whereby the Stoker discharge conduit is arranged to extend into one side of the ring opening, permitting manual introduction pf fuel through the other side of the firing open- It is well known that when a helicoid screw is employed as a. conveying means in the discharge conduit of a stoker','more fuel is delivered to one side of the axis of the screw than to the other, resulting, when the delivery ends of the screw and discharge conduit are located ,centrally of the slides of the rebox, in an oversupply of fuel to one side of the iirebox with a consequent undersupply to the other side thereof. It is therefore another object of the invention to provide a novel construction, relation and arrangement of elements assuring an even d 'livery of fuel over-the entire flrebox, characterize by having the mouth portion of the stoker discharge conduit together with the delivery end of the screw and the fuel distributing plate offset from the longitudinal vertical medial plane of the flrebox away from that side toward whioh'the screw delivers most of its charge of fuel.

Still another object of the invention resides in the'novel relation and arrangement of the firedoor with the Stoker discharge conduit and the novel construction of the individual parts.

These and other objects, such as the particular construction of the parts and their novel relation one with another, will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical medial section through the stoker, with parts shown in elevation, and illustrated as applied to a locomotive and tender, adjacent portions of which are shown in longitudinal vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stokerxand driving mechanism with parts broken away'and shown in section, as applied to a locomotive backhead shown in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view through the portion of the backhead that includes the iiring opening with a flredoor applied thereto, a portion of the iiredoor being brokenv away showing a portion of the stoker in plan view;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the stoker and firedoor structure illustrated in Fig. 3 with parts' broken away and shown in section and .applied to the locomotive boiler backhead show-n in vertical medial section;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the stoker, with adjacent parts of the locomotive and tender shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another modified form of the stoker, with adjacent parts of the locomotive and tender shown in section; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of still another modied form of the stoker, with adjacent parts of the locomotive and tender shown in section.

Referringto the drawings, ,a locomotive is indicated generally at A, a tender at B, and coupling means .connecting the vtwo in the usual manner, at C. The locomotive is provided with aframe I0, a ilrebox II having the grate I2 and'a boiler backwall I3 having a\.ring opening I4 therein. The tender includes a frame I5, a fuel bin I6 having a floor I1 provided with a longitudinal centrally located opening I 8, and a plurality of slidably mounted platesr I9 normally closing the opening I8 and which may be moved from covering position to regulate the delivery of fuel from the bin I6. 'Ihe fuel stored within the bin I6 is coarse coal in substantially the same form as it isI neath the opening I8, a tubular conduit 2| com-` municatingwith and extending forwardly from the trough 20 to the locomotive and an inclined riser conduit 22 communicating at its lower end with lthe forward end of the tubular conduit 2i and at its upper end with the firing opening Ifl. Movement of the .trough 20 incidentl to the relative movements of the locomotive and tender is provided for in part by mounting the trough upon rollers 23 ywhich rest upon track elements 26 supported from the frame I5 of the tender and extend longitudinally thereof. 'Ihe riser conduit 22 is rigidly secured at its upper end to the boiler backwall I3 in a manner later to be described, and at its lower end it has formed therewith an annular flange 22a, the lower portion of which is in the form of a foot member slidably resting on an inverted T-shaped bar 22h rigid with the frame I6. 'I'hus the lower end ofthe riser conduit 22 is slidably supported on the frame I0. A tie plate 25 extending rigidly between the annular iiange 22a and the backwall I3 braces the riser conduit 22 against forward thrust at its lower end.

Fuel is conveyed from the tender fuel bin to ythe rebox by screw conveying means including ascrew section 26 mounted in the trough 20 and the tubular extension 2I, and a screw section 21 mounted in the riser conduit 22. The screw sections 26 and 21 are universally connected at their adjacent ends by the universal joint 28. 'I'he joint 28 includes a link 29 universally attached at its ends in the jaws 30 and 3i of the screw sections 26 and 21, respectively, forming a double universal joint. The screw section 26 is driven from its rearward end through gearing (not shown) housed in the gear casing 32. A motor 33 mounted on the tender frame is operatively connected with the gearing in the casing 32 by a shaft 35.

The adjacent ends of the riser conduit 22 and the tubular extension 2i are constructed and arranged to form a universal connection D which houses the universal joint 28. The lower end of the riser conduit 22 carries a vertically split spherical clamp 35, the halves of which are bolted together as at 35a and both are secured by bolts 35h to the annular ange 22a of the riser conduit 22. 'I'he internal diameter of the split clamp 35 is greater than the diameter of the tubular conduit 2i.

The forward end of the tubular conduit 2| is cut back as shown at 36 `and the lower forward end only of the conduit 2i projects within the spherical clamp 35. A tubular member 31v surrounds the forward end portion of the conduit 2I and is rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by welding, shown at 38. At its forward end the tubular member 31 is lprovided with a spherical surface to conform with the interior surface of the clamp 35'to permit universal movement therebetween. The ball portion 39 of 'the tubular member 31 prevents to a large extent, the accumulation of fuel in the cavity formed by the spherical clamp 35. The upper portion 46 of the tubular member 31 forms an enlarged extension from the cut back edge 36 of the tubular conduit 2| and the forward portion thereof iits closely against the inner vwall of the spherical clamp 35. It is apparent, therefore, that the portion 40 of the tubular member provides space about the universal joint 28, preventing undue packing and consequent crushing of the fuel at this point, at the same time permitting the lower portion of the forward end of the conduit 2I to,

extend into the spherical clamp 35 to provide a the screw 26 to a point where it -can'be readily picked up by the screw 21.

A rectangular shaped casing, indicated ge'nerab` ly at 8i, formed with the riser conduit 22 embraces the lower portion of the firing opening I4 and is secured in a suitable manner to the backwall I3. \The casing 4I comprises a rear wall 42 spaced from the plane of the backwall I3, and side walls 43 and 44 extending forwardly from the rear wall 42 to the plane of the backwall, one at each side of the firing opening. Bolts as at 4I a extend through the side walls 43, 44 to secure the riser conduit 22 to the angle bars 4Ib, which in turn are bolted at 4Ic to the firebox backwall I3. Thus, the riser conduit is rigidly mounted on said backwall. The upper portion 0f the firing opening is provided with a power operated firedoor 45, which is preferably of the type comprising a pair of pivoted door members 46 and 41 arranged to swing laterally and upwardly, mounted in any well known manner on the firedoor frame 45a which embraces the upper portion of the ring opening I4 above the angle bars 4Ib. The door members 46 and 41 form in effect continuations o'f the side and rear walls of the casing 4I, the walls forming the door members converging as they extend upwardly. .The lower rearward edges of the door members are \received in the groove 48, and the shoulder 49 formed on the casing 4I prevents the door members from ybeing blown out rearwardly should an explosion occur Within the firebox.

The riser conduit 22 has a casting 50 secured to its forward end in a suitable manner, asI by means of bolts 5I. This casting 50 is provided with a delivery floor 52 which is disposed at a steeper angle of inclination than the floor portion of the riser conduit 2i. 'I'he casting 50 is stepped, down, at the front end of the delivery oor 52, so as to provide a jet head 53 having a vertical front face 54 and the vertical faces 55 and 56 which are angularly disposed with respect to the front face 55. The jet head 53 is cored to provide a steam chamber 51 from which jet passages 58, arranged in an upper and a lower row, open through the vertical faces 54, 55 and 56. Steam is supplied to the chamber 51 frozn a suitable source of supply by the pipe 55.

A fuel distributor plate 60 extends forwardly from the jet head 53 below the levelof the jets 58. 'I'he upper edge of the vertical faces 54,l 55 and 56 form a spill edge over which fuel drops onto the plate 6I) into the zone of action of the blasts issuing from the jets 58. The faces 54, 55 and 56 are provided with the vertical spaced projections 6I terminating at their lower ends just above the lower row of jets and through which projections the upper row of -jets extends. The surface of the plate 66 declines slightly from lthe horizontal as it extends forwardly, and the plane of the tops of the ribs 62 formed on the plate 66 inclines slightly from the horizontal. j This construction permits the fine coal to drop between the projections 6I onto the plate 80 in front of the lower row of jets which are directed slightly downwardly and which project the fine fuel forwardly between the ribs 62. The coarse fuel drops into the zone of action of the upper row of jets and is projected along the ribs 62. )The upper row of jets that projects the coarse fuel thus forms a blanket over the ner fuel'particles and prevents to a large extent escape of finer fuel particles over the firebox arch.

It is well known that a helicoid 'screw will deliver more coal `vto one side of its axis than to the other. Thus a screw, the flights of which are so wound to advance fuel when rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the direction of flow will deliver most of its charge to the left side of its axis. Referring particularly to Fig.

' 3, it will be seen'that the screw 21 will deliver most of its charge toward the Side of the firebox marked L. In the constructions shown in the prior art, the discharge end of the riser conduit is located centrally of the sides of the rebox and in order to prevent the side L of the ilrebox from receiving an oversupply of fuel, varies or dividers are generally employed to direct more fuel to the side of the firebox marked R in order to obtain an even supply of fuel to both sides of the rebox. In the present construction, with the discharge end of the conduit located more to the side R ofthe rebox, vanes and dividers are not necessary since there is a greater area at the side L ofthe discharge end of the conduit than to the side R thereof which is to be supplied with fuel, and more fuel is therefore necessary on the side L to provide even distribution over the entire flrebox.

As shown in Fig. 2, the trough20 and the tubular conduit 2| are normally disposed with the axes thereof at a slight angle to .the longitudinal vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender. 'I'he riser conduit 22 is disposed with the axis thereof at a greater angle to the longitudinal vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender so that the discharge end o f the riser conduit Aextends into the firing opening at one side of the longitudinal vertical medial plane of the firing opening and rebox, thereby leaving the other side of the firing opening unobstructed. This constitutes the preferred form of construction sincr it minimizes the angle between .the riser conduit screw 21 and the screw 26.

The fact that the riser conduit scrrw 2l extends at an angle toward the side R of the firebox, also serves to deliver more fuel to that side of the flrebox; which, together with the discharge end of the riser conduit 22 being at the side R of the flrebox, compensates for the action of the screw in delivering most of its charge toward the side L.

, A number of factors determine just how much more coal is delivered to one side or the other of the screw, as for example, how far the screw in the riser conduit extends; the shape of the distributing means, and other factors. Thus, if it is necessary to provide more fuel on the side R of the rebox than is provided by the preferred construction, a modied formof the invention as shown in Fig. 5 may be employed.

In this modified form of construction, the trough and tubular extension lie in the longiudinal vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender, causing the riser conduit to extend at a greater angle therefrom to the side R of the rebox. The greater angularity of the screw in the riser conduit has the effect of forcing more fuel to the side R of the rebox.

tOn the other hand, should it be necessary to deliver less fuel to the side R of the rebox than is supplied by the preferred form of construction, a modified form, such as that shown in Fig. 6, is advantageous. In this construction the riser conduit is offset from but parallel with the' longitudinal vertical medial plane of the locomotive and tender. 'Ihe screw in the riser conduit being parallel with the aforesaid plane. it will discharge less fuel to the side R of the fire` bOX than that angulacly disposed riser conduit screw of the preferred form. Thev trough and tubular extension thereof may be disposed at an angle to the longitudinal vertical medial plane ofthe locomotive and tender as shown in Fig. 6 or it may be offset from vand parallel therewith as shown in Fig. '7.

The specific form of this invention as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 7 of the present application is being claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 205,393, led May 2, 1938, as a division of the present application. The novel construction of parts associated with the forward end of the riser conduit 22 is being claimed in my copending application Serial No. 205,394, led May 2, 1938,l

as a continuation in part of the present application.

I claim:

1. In a locomotive provided with a flrebox having a backwall with a firing opening therein and a tender having a fuel bin, a transfer conduit extending forwardly from beneath said bin to the locomotive and disposed at a slight angle to the vertical plane passing through the longitudinal center line of the locomotive and tender, a riser conduit communicating at its lower end with said transfer conduit and extending upwardly at a greater angle to the said plane, said riser conduit having its discharge end disposed at the firing opening in endwise communication with said rebox at one side of the vertical medial plane of the locomotive, and a distributor at the disfuel therefrom, said distributor being offset with respect to the vertical medial plane of the loco- 'motive on the same side of such plane. as the discharge end of said riser conduit, said distributor 'including fuel propelling'means for projecting fuel into the iirebox.

2. In a locomotive provided with a f'lrebox having a backwall with a firing opening therein, a stoker for feeding fuel to said flrebox through said firing opening comprising a riser conduit extending upwardly and forwardly from a point rearward of said backwall to said .firing opening and at its upper forward end communicating with said flrebox and terminating in a plane above the lower half of said firing opening, mechanical means for urging fuel through the upper forward end of said conduit, and a' fuel distributor arranged to project into the frebox the fuel which is conveyed through the upper forward end of said conduit, the upper forward end of said riser conduit and said distributor being of vless width than the width of the firing opening and occupying space along one side of said firing opening only to provide an unobstructed aperture at the opposite side of such opening for access into said iirebox during operation of said stoker, said aperture extending above and below the plane of sa'id distributor.

3. In a locomotive provided with a flrebox having a backwall with a firing opening therein, a stoker for feeding fuel to said ilrebox through said firing opening comprising a riser conduit extending forwardly and upwardly from a point rearward of said backwall to said firing opening and at its upper forward end communicating with said rebox, mechanical means for urging fuel through said conduit to a point above the lower half of said firing opening, 'and a fuel distributor arranged to project into the iirebox the fuel which is conveyed through said conduit, the upper forward end of said riser conduit and said distributor being of less width than the width of said firing opening and occupying space along one side of said firing opening only to provide an unobstructed aperture at the opposite side of such opening for access into said rebox during operation of said stoker, said aperture extending above and below the plane of said distributor.

4. In a locomotive provided with a rebox having a backwall with a firing opening therein, a stoker for feeding fuel to said 4ilrebox through said firing opening comprising a riser conduit extending upwardly and forwardly from a point rearward of said backwall to said firing opening and at its upper forward end communicating with said frebox, mechanical means for urging fuel through the upper forward end of said conduit,

and a fuel distributor arranged to project into the flrebox the fuel which is conveyed through the upper forward end of said conduit, the upper forward end of said riser conduit and said dis-i tributor being of less width than the width of the firing opening and occupying space along one side of said rlng opening only to provide an unobstructed aperture at the opposite side of such opening for access into said ilrebox during operation of said stoker, said aperture extending above and below the plane of said distributor plate, said mechanical means including a conveyor screw in said riser conduit for urging fuel toward said distributor, said screw including a helical flight wound in a direction whereby the conveyor screw delivers the greatest charge of fuel toward that side of said distributor which is positioned adjacent the unobstructed aperture in said firing opening.

5. In a locomotive provided with a iirebox having a backwall with a firing opening therein, a stoker for feeding fuel to said irebox through said firing opening comprising a riser conduit extending forwardly and upwardly from a point rearward of said backwall to said ring opening and at its upper forward end communicating with said flrebox, mechanical means for urging fuel through, said conduit to a point above the lower half of said firing opening, and a fuel distributor arranged to project into the f'lrebox the fuel which is conveyed throughA conduit, the upper forward end of said riser conduit and said distributor being of less width than the width of said firing opening and occupying space along one side of said firing opening only to provide an unobstructed aperture at the opposite side of such opening for access into said rebox during operation of said stoker, said aperture extending above and below the plane of said distributor, said mechanical means including a conveyor screw having a` helical flight wound in a direction whereby the conveyor screw delivers the greatest charge of fuel toward that side of said distributor which is adjacent the unobstructed portion of ing a backwall with a firing opening therein and a grate for supporting a firebed, a stoker including a delivery conduit and a fuel projecting distributor arranged to supply fuel to said rebox through the ring opening, said fuel projecting distributor being disposed adjacent the discharge end of said conduit and arranged to project over the rebed of the rebox fuel which is conveyed through said conduit, said conduit and said fuel projecting distributor occupying space in said ring opening at one vertical side thereof only, leaving an unobstructed aperture extending above and below the plane of said fuel projecting distributor at the opposite vertical side of such opening for access into said rebox, and mechanical means for urging fuel through said lconduit to said fuel projecting distributor.

ALBERT R. CHALKER. 

